10 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 



of this work in the past fiscal year are elsewhere shown. Further 

 and practicall}'^ continuous efforts will be necessary in order to supply 

 deficiencies in existing knowledge and to determine the effects of 

 fishing operations and regulatory measures on the mussel resources 

 of particular water areas. During the year there were distinct ad- 

 vances in experimentation, artificial propagation, and protection. 

 An experiment in recovering young mussels dropped from infected 

 fish retained in an inclosure gave a proportionate yield much greater 

 than had been assumed to be necessary to justify the expenditures 

 for artificial propagation. Protection is, of course, a function of 

 the several States, but the Bureau has done much to stimulate in- 

 terest in the matter, and almost invariably the counsel of repre- 

 sentatives of the Bureau is sought by the States in determining the 

 portions of rivers to be closed against shelling operations for the 

 protection of mussels. 



NEW SOURCES OF SEAWEED GELATIN. 



The investigation of gelatin derivable from seaweed was extended 

 during the j'ear to certain species of red algae of the Pacific coast, 

 with the result that a new source of agar-agar of superior quality 

 was disclosed. 



Agar-agar is the commercial name applied to a gelatinous product 

 of certain red algse which is imported from Japan, China, and other 

 places. The importations in 1919 amounted to nearly a half million 

 dollars. Agar is used in making foods and confections, but its 

 principal importance arises from the fact that it is a necessary 

 medium for bacteriological work and is, therefore, essential to medi- 

 cal laboratories and hospitals. Four species of algse from the Pacific 

 coast were the subject of experimentation, and agar prepared from 

 one of these tested at the Army Medical School in Washington was 

 pronounced equal or superior to the imported agar, while another 

 species yielded a product apparently of like quality. 



The discovery of domestic raw materials from which this important 

 })eculiar product may be made is a noteworthy event. In order that 

 both Government and private interests may hereafter be independent 

 of foreign sources of supply, further investigations should be con- 

 ducted to determine the availability and locations of the proper algse 

 on our coasts as well as the suitability of other species than those 

 used in the experiments already made. 



ACTIVITIES OF THE BIOLOGICAL LABORATORIES. 



The situation with regard to the marine biological laboratories 

 remains distinctly unsatisfactory. The anomalous salary conditions 

 make it hopeless to secure and retain a competent scientific staff, 

 and the positions are generally vacant. Wliile the stations at Beau- 

 fort, N. C, and Key West, Fla., have been virtually nonproductive 

 during the past year, it has nevertheless been necessary to incur ex- 

 penditures for maintaining the property. It has not, however, been 

 practicable to prevent deterioration of the properties without more 

 drastic curtailment of activities in other directions than seemed con- 

 sistent with the accomplishment of a reasonable measure of public 



